The Paz Martinez article initially gave me heartburn, as do all the sympathy/tear jerking articles about individuals who have some sad tale to tell who get themselves deported. I wonder why the press always finds the ones which somebody might think don’t deserve to be deported (came here when they were young; been here illegally a long time; leaving their family behind; served in the military before committing a deportable offense; etc.). And I wondered why we don’t see articles about all the other people who get deported, who do not have sad stories to tell, to sort of balance out the sympathies.

Then today I saw your article about the “spike” in deportations, which laid out the numbers and the process objectively, including the various reasons why people get deported. Then it occurred to me that both articles are doing good for immigration enforcement , especially the first one. By publicizing the facts about the vigorous enforcement of the law, that no one is immune anymore, that no one can benefit from the “sanctuary” policies that the Obama Administration put in place, two of the primary goals of the criminal justice system are being advanced – namely, punishment and deterrence. By publicizing the circumstances of those being arrested and deported, those that are here illegally and in similar circumstances may learn that it is now more likely that they will be arrested and deported, which may cause some of them to leave on their own. And perhaps more importantly, it sends a message of deterrence to those who have not yet come here illegally that the game has changed, that the likelihood that they will be able to hide in plain sight if and when they are successful in entering the US illegally, has ended.

Illegal immigration has always been a cost-benefit analysis; what is the “cost” of coming illegally (smuggling fees, danger of the crossing, etc.) versus the “benefit” of success (a good paying job, taxpayer supported benefits, free schooling for your kids, health care, the ability to hide in plain sight without being caught, etc.). Up until the Trump Administration, the benefits far outweighed the costs; now that has changed, and your articles are helping spread the word that the rules of the game have changed. So far, the numbers seem to show that deterrence is working; arrests at the border are way down, and there is some evidence that self deportation may be taking place. Now, if Congress would only get off the dime and pass a mandatory E-Verify bill, you would see an even greater effect on illegal immigration at the border and in the heartland.